There are musicians that step on the stage to perform, but there are a few who do music like a hand-written placard: red letters, bent cardboard, rough edges. Joseph Kuhl’s “The Witness” is one of the few, the one for crowds, marches, meant to be shouted back in the streets.
Joseph Kuhl’s musical roots trace back to Athens, Georgia, in the late 1970s. Channeling the spirit of blues legends, Bob Dylan, and REM, he releases The Witness, a sonic document on the tragedy of war and colonization on Gaza.
The Witness only gives you a guitar and voice for the opening, like it’s been mentally preparing you for everything that will follow. Kuhl drops the line, “look in your heart,” with his raspy, whiskey-soaked-like vocals like it was made for truth and truth only. The track then gradually unveils its sharp drum hits and distorted guitars that urges you to sit down, look him in the eye, and let it sink to you.
It takes a lot of courage to write with integrity, to relay an unfiltered, messy truth that the world isn’t ready to hear. You can also feel his profound connection to the Middle East and his personal experiences, amplifying the track’s grounded and raw sound. Kuhl doesn’t want you to be entertained, he wants you to move, speak, and open your eyes. He’s not just singing about the Palestinian people; he’s shedding light on realities that are shadowed by disconnect and apathy.
Joseph Kuhl’s “The Witness” is a rock statement, stripped down of fancy metaphors and polished layers. It’s a record that exposes, opens eyes, and demands action for those who have seen so much.
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